REPORT FROM SAN DIEGO COMIC CON
Days Three, Four, Five, Six, – Quien Chingáos Sabe?……
By Al Desmadre
San Diego, CA, Sunday July 27, 2008
Ahh, another year, another Comic Con come and gone. Only sweet memories remain, lingering like the pungent aromas of the Nerd Herds even now fading from these Cheesy Nacho littered halls of the great San Diego Convention Center….
One can almost still hear the roars of the great unwashed as they marched in triumph, collecting the great spoils of their Geekly conquests! What marvelous tales will be told of this year’s cosmic celebrations? The sightings, the rumors, the revelations, the previews of coming attractions! Those who hungered for ever more were satiated beyond hopes.
Those who sought to discover, felt their hearts overwhelmed. The universal vibrations of the fantastic were shared among common brethren this past week in these hallowed halls. And the collective soul of imagination was recharged for yet another year,..
If there ever was anything to learn from Comic Con, it’s that we all desire a great yarn, in whatever form it may come, to send our hearts, minds and spirits soaring to a land of imagination, somewhere away from here, at least for a moment…..
A brand spanking new LOVE & ROCKETS book with all new stories was delivered to Comic Con hot off the press! Just in time for Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez to personally sign copies for all of us fans. The Hernandez Bros. are seen here flanking the 9-year-old Natalia, daughter of “Beto”, who proudly sold her own mini Comic Zine!
Jaime’s writing in my book: “TO AL – THANX..” XAIME“,
Gilbert Hernandez
A true Eastside success story of homegrown talent, local E.L.A. boy EGO PLUM musician, composer and creative madman behind The Ebola Music Orchestrawas recently tapped by the NICKELODEON CARTOON TV Network to compose the musical score for a newly animated cartoon series titled: MAKING FIENDS, premiering this October 2008. The show was showcased at this year’s Comic-Con to approving crowds And EGO PLUM’s musical contributions are nothing short of amazing. (Que Danny Elfman, ni que nada!) Highly Recommended.
Special Comic Con screening of “Making Fiends” from Nickelodeon Cartoon Network.
Ego Plum
Notes:
I was standing in a queue to meet Sergio Aragonés. Lined up in front of me was a young, diminuitive, Emo/Goth looking young woman. She approached Aragones with her sketch book under her arm, and asked him to autograph one of the blank pages. After cheerfully signing and doodling in her book, he asked her if he may look through her sketches. She agreed somewhat shyly and Aragones flipped slowly through her pages of drawings. From my vantage point I could see that her sketches were filled with various depictions of penciled self-portraits, girls drawn with anguished expressions, severe lines, red bloody splashes everywhere. I watched Aragones furrow his brow deeper and deeper as he continued to turn over page after page of dark, pain filled drawings. Finally, he looked up at her and with a polite smile asked: “Is your life really this Horrible?” She seemed embarassed and giggled some awkward explanation. Aragones then handed her back the sketchbook, and with a wry smile added; “….Life’s not so bad!”.
We caught the sneak preview of the upcoming (Pixar?) release TRON 2! Upcoming for 2009: Land of the Lost with Will Ferrell, Watchmen, Star Trek: Beginnings and much more….see u next year!
The Hernandez Bros prove that the simple life of “others” have just as much weight and meaning as those that think they are the center of the universe. Plus, they’re an inspiration to Chicano Punks everywhere!
Ooooooo been waiting for your CC report… went last year, this year by the time I thought about it the 4-days and Saturday were already sold out… and I am just kicking myself for not going. Next year no matter what…
you met the hermanos Hernandez !!!! Now I completely hate you Al. I just barely picked up one of their books because I wanted to read a story that I could relate to more on a personal level. I know, I know your saying what kind of comic book reader am I that I just barely got into Love & Rockets. Well to my defense there is a ton of great books out there and no one really mentions the great ones like L&R. Looks like you had a blast at comic-con and I loved reading your reports. Just one quick question though, just how much free stuff/bought did you bring back with you anyway ?
Thanks to everyone who joined me (in a Cyber sense) at this year’s Con. It was Great!
Dear El Random Hero,
I picked up a bunch of freebees, I even put aside a “Lastima” bag of stuff just for you!
Contact me, and it’s all yours. I’ve also got an extra cool free baseball cap from ComicCon that says “War Games” DEFCON 3″ on it. Whoever sends me a a good “cochino(a)” photo first at aldesmadre@gmail.com gets the free hat! Good luck!
I love the Hernandez Bros! I’ve been reading Love and Rockets since I was 14 after one of the Hernandez Bros told me to pick up a copy in the old Y-Que store (when it was on Sunset). Strangely, the story seemed to mirror my own life as I was growing up. I even had a best friend named Izzy (who was coincidentally Scottish/Colombian like the character and punk) and a cholo boyfriend around the same time as “The Death of Speedy.”
I met the Hernandez Bros again, years later (when I was already in my 20s) at a Golden Apple signing and they seemed kinda jaded. I was so excited to meet them that I was inevitably disappointed by their too cool attitude.
I’m glad though, that they are still making comics and continuing on with their success. I heard Jaime has his P.O. Box here in LH but I have yet to see him.